PENTIMENTI – SHADOWS – MURMURATIONS
2024 – 2026
between pentimenti
JHB
and shadows
lifes
are up and down
and
upside down
and
in a dark room
Delving through past and unseen
The camera scura, serves both as method and metaphor in this series, in literally obscuring and abstracting forms, while also making a statement about the nature of memory and perception. Exploring the contrast between light and shadow, presence and absence, using abstraction to evoke the ghosts of memory, much like the camera scura creates a ghostly projection of the outside world. .
The tight boundaries between humanity, biodiversity, and the universe creates a space were resilience, interconnectedness, and cosmic forces come together.
These concepts, when viewed through the lenses of the camera scura, offer a multi-layered reflection on perception, survival, and the impossible journey through trauma—whether individual, collective, or planetary.
This interconnected vision offers endless possibilities for exploring how life, nature, and the cosmos mirrors each other in cycles of creation, destruction, and resilience.
Exploring specific ways to bring this cosmic interconnectedness into an abstract visual language, who also delve into more concrete visual or poetic strategies for expressing these ideas.
PENTIMENTI
The idea of PENTIMENTI, the visible traces of earlier layers in a painting or passed life, fit well with it, as both suggest movement over time and reveal hidden or evolving layers. The bird’s dances can metaphorically echo the resurfacing of old thoughts, regrets, or forgotten moments.
Pentimenti shows that even when something seems covered or forgotten, it is still there, influencing the present.
PENTIMENTI I
Acrylic paint and ink, collage on canvas.
PENTIMENTI II
Acrylic paint and ink, collage on canvas.
Human emotions, such as resilience, suffering, and hope, are tied to the same forces that govern the biological cycles of life and death in the natural world, and the cosmic cycles of creation and destruction in the universe. These are all part of the same narrative.
PENTIMENTI III
Acrylic paint and ink, collage on canvas.
Pentimenti III – Layers of Time, Layers of Self
“Pentimenti III” is a visual meditation on the passage of time and the traces we leave behind. The warm tapestry of reds, oranges, and browns, interspersed with cooler pinks, creates a sense of both chaos and order. The overlapping rectangles and textured surfaces suggest that nothing is ever truly erased—each layer is a memory, a decision, a moment of vulnerability or strength.
PENTIMENTI IV
Acrylic paint and ink, collage on canvas.
The aesthetic appeal of “PENTIMENTI IV” lies in its vibrant color palette and textured surfaces. The bold use of reds and yellows creates a sense of warmth and energy, while the cooler tones provide balance. The geometric forms add a sense of order, inviting viewers to explore the complexity of the composition characterized by a dynamic arrangement of shapes and colors. The layering technique adds depth, allowing for a rich visual experience. The contrast between warm and cool tones creates a dialogue that enhances the overall impact.
PENTIMENTI V
Acrylic paint and ink, collage on canvas.
“PENTIMENTI V” reads as a meditation on memory and revision — the layers are both evidence of the making and the subject. The bright linear element feels like a present-day assertion or resolve cutting through past decisions, suggesting moments of clarity, annotation, or interruption in an ongoing personal narrative.
SHADOWS
These boundaries are perhaps illusionary, much like the way light and shadow in the camera scura distort and bend the familiar into the unfamiliar. Just as shadows blur the edges of a form, the reflections suggest that the human experience is not separate from the natural world or the cosmic forces that shape existence.
Shadows, on the other hand, remind us of what we can’t fully see, the areas of life or memory that remain elusive.
SHADOWS I
Acrylic paint and ink, collage on canvas
SHADOWS II
Acrylic paint and ink, collage on canvas
SHADOWS II – Echoes of the Unseen
In “SHADOWS II,” muted and vibrant colors blend with geometric shapes and faint outlines of figures. The result is a contemplative piece that feels both intimate and expansive.
The tactile quality and layered forms evoke the complexity of emotion and memory, encouraging us to look beyond the surface. “SHADOWS II” is a gentle reminder that our inner worlds are as rich and varied as any landscape, deserving of exploration and compassion.
SHADOWS III
Acrylic paint and ink, collage on canvas
SHADOWS III presents a dynamic interplay of geometric shapes and vibrant colors, with multiple textured layers. The composition features a harmonious blend of greens, blues, and purples, interspersed with bold lines that guide the eye across the canvas. Each section reveals a unique depth, encouraging contemplation and engagement.
SHADOWS IV
Acrylic paint and ink, collage on canvas
SHADOWS IV has a structure who relies on geometric repetition and subtle shifts in transparency to create depth. The limited but intense color story — warm reds/pinks offset by cool blue and white — produces a push/pull that guides the eye from top left warmth to the bright, cool lower right. The rectangular forms function like windows or panels, reinforcing the CAMERA SCURA idea of captured light and framed shadow.
SHADOWS V
Acrylic paint and ink, collage on canvas
SHADOWS V – Structure Amidst Abstraction
“SHADOWS V” pulses with energy, its bold colors and intersecting lines creating a sense of structure within abstraction. Deep purples, reds, and blues collide and harmonize, suggesting both chaos and order. The vertical and horizontal lines act as anchors, guiding the eye through a landscape that is at once spontaneous and intentional.
SHADOWS VI
Acrylic paint and ink, collage on canvas
SHADOWS VI is a vertically oriented abstract from CAMERA SCURA series. It reads as layered rectangular planes of muted mauves, lavenders and greys, punctuated by saturated strips of orange, magenta and cobalt. There are visible textures — washes, scumbled surfaces, ragged edges, occasional scraped marks and paler blocky passages that look like transfers or lifted paint. The piece balances large soft fields with smaller, brighter accents.
Texture and translucency create depth; thin washes suggest distance while opaque marks and scraped areas pull forward. Edges oscillate between hard and feathery, which keeps the geometry interesting and alive.
SHADOWS VII
Acrylic paint and ink, collage on canvas
Shadows VII – The Dance of Presence and Absence
In “Shadows VII,” the canvas becomes a stage where light and darkness perform a delicate duet. The layered collage, inks, and acrylics create a tactile surface that invites viewers to linger, searching for meaning in the interplay of color and texture. This piece is not just about what is seen, but also about what is hidden—how memory can be both vivid and elusive.
The abstract forms suggest fleeting moments, half-remembered dreams, and the resilience that comes from navigating the unknown. As you move through the painting, you sense the interconnectedness of humanity and nature, each brushstroke a testament to the artist’s passion for exploring the boundaries between tu
he material and the ephemeral.
“Shadows VII” encourages us to contemplate our own memories—how they shape us, how they fade, and how, in the spaces between, we find new meaning.